FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
OUR THEME FOR 2018
(Part 1)
DESTINED FOR GREATNESS
September 9, 2017
Our theme for this year 2017 is ONE in Christ, and we have seen that the critical elements that contribute to unity are threefold: holiness, servanthood and being warriors. We sum this up in the call to be holy warriors.
If we are to become holy warriors, united in heart and mind with our Commander-in-Chief, the Lord Jesus, being one in vision and mission, doing the one work, fighting the one enemy, then we would become one vibrant and cohesive body through which the Lord can achieve much.
And the Lord does intend to achieve much, not just through us but through His entire Church. Unfortunately, 99 of the 100 sheep are lost, and we are losing the battles for faith, family and life. Many Catholics, both clergy and lay, are lost to the world, or content with their secular situation in life, or not focused on the mission, or not striving for holiness, or not embracing the gospel of the cross. Many are missing out on what God intends for them to be, and what God intends for them to do.
No wonder that our Church continues to lose Catholics by the day. But does not God want everyone to be saved? Is that not the reason why God sent His own Son to suffer and die for us? Did not Jesus already accomplish our salvation on the cross? And by God’s grace and the power of the Spirit, is not the harvest rich? Indeed it is, but the laborers are few.
Many Catholics have no grasp of their identity. Many Catholics have no awareness of their destiny. Many are not aware of the greatness that is their lot, being children of God, servants of the Master Jesus, armies of the Spirit. Many are ignorant of the greatness of the divine work that awaits them, especially helping to bring many others to heaven.
We must know what God intends for us. We are DESTINED FOR GREATNESS.
This is our theme for 2018. Our theme verse is as follows: “But you are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own’” (1 Peter 2:9a). Wow! Chosen. Royal. Holy. God’s own. What could be greater than that?!
But the enemy robs God’s people of what is destined for them. He has deceived them, and allowed them to accept much much less than what they truly are. As such, they are prevented from being God’s effective instruments in the world.
The first step in claiming our destiny is to understand what being destined for greatness means and what that entails. This will be our task for the whole year of 2018 as we dissect and enter deeply into our theme. But even now it starts.
The following schema helps us conceptualize the theme.
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1 Peter 2:9
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"a chosen race, a royal priesthood"
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"a holy nation, a people of his own"
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"so that you may announce the praises of him who called you"
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Relationship
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To God
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To brethren
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to world
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Set apart
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As priest
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As king
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As prophet
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Identity
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God's people
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God's workers
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God's army
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Task
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The priest helps connect people to God
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The king cares for God's people and builds up the body
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The prophet proclaims God's word and challenges people to righteousness and fidelity
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Called to
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Holiness
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Servant leadership
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Evangelization and mission
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CFC-FFL
Core Values
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Centered on Christ
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Renewing the famiy
Strengthening community
Growing in servanthood
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Evangelistic and missionary
Serving the poor
Serving the Church
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One caveat: the Kingdom of God is topsy-turvy. The wisdom of God is foolishness to humans. The first is the last and the last is the first. The greatest is also the least.
In being destined for greatness, we are to be priest, king and prophet. But the priest rather than offering sacrifices is the one sacrificed. The king who is leader is the servant of all. The prophet as God’s mouthpiece is often vilified, persecuted and even killed. We are not to be high and mighty, but to be low and lowly. But therein lies true greatness.
Greatness is defined not by the world’s standards, but by God’s. The One who is Messiah and Lord is the suffering servant. But Jesus now reigns as great King of all.
We follow in Jesus’ footsteps. We too are destined for greatness.
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